Bear cub 'Windsor' hibernates at rehab facility until next summer after unusual journey - Action News
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Windsor

Bear cub 'Windsor' hibernates at rehab facility until next summer after unusual journey

A nine-month-old black bear has travelled great distances during his unorthodox journey across parts of Ontario.

Small black bear was struck by vehicle, moved across Ontario and fed Taco Bell

Well-travelled injured bear 'Windsor' who was fed Taco Bell to hibernate at rehab facility

17 days ago
Duration 1:52
The Founder of Bear With Us is Mike McIntosh. His team has been caring for 'Windsor' the bear cub at his Hunstville-area rehabilitation facility since Sept. 1. He says the animal will stay with them until sometime next summer when he'll be released back into the wild near the area where it's believed he was struck by a vehicle around Cochrane.

A nine-month-old black bear has travelled a great distanceduring his unorthodox journey across parts of Ontario.

The rescue centre now caring for the cub says he's on the mend and on track to be back in his natural habitat next summer.

It's believed the journeystarted in northern Ontario, where he was struck by a vehicle near Cochrane. That's also when the unconscious cub was scooped up from the side of the road by people from Windsor,driven 10 hours in a van to southwestern Ontario and infamously fed Taco Bell along the way.

Windsor, as he's now aptly named, was taken to a nearby animal rescue centre in Chatham-Kent.

While in the care of Chatham-Kent'sPet and Wildlife Rescue centre, executive director Myriam Armstrong told CBC News the bear was "so stressed" and "shell shocked" when he first arrived.

The bear cub is rehabilitating at a Huntsville-area facility and is expected to stay there until next summer.
The bear cub is rehabilitating at a Huntsville-area facility and is expected to stay there until next summer. (Submitted by Mike McIntosh)

Then, with help of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), he was moved to a rehabilitation facility in the Huntsville region that specializes in bears.

Mike McIntosh at Bear With Uscame up with the animal's name.

"The city was involved in his trip to our facility and certainly it's a nice name anyway," he said.

McIntosh, his wife and a volunteer run the centre thattakesin orphan and injured bears from all districts of the province.

"We treat them very carefully," he added.

They've been looking after the cub since Sep. 1.

"This little bear was lucky. He didn't appear to have any broken bones, but he was suffering from severe head trauma and body bruising. He wasn't really with it on his trip. His trip back to Windsor was probably most of the time being unconscious or semi-conscious."

McIntosh saidthe cub'srecovery is in full swing and he's nearly back to being a "normal bear."

"He's walking OK. He's stable. His cognitive ability seems good. He's eating and drinking well. He still walks as if he's a little sore, but he climbs, and I think he's definitely near recovered."

Bear cub
The bear cub was originally cared for at a Chatham-Kent animal rescue facility after being driven to southwestern Ontario from northern Ontario. (Submitted by Myriam Armstrong)

The bear weighed about 14kilograms when he arrived in at the rescue in Sprucedale, Ont.

Black bears aren't expected to reach their full size until around 10 years old, McIntoshsaid, and can live as long as 30 years.

Windsorwill remain at the rehabilitation facility and hibernate there over the winter.

McIntosh saidhe's already been in contact with MNR officials near Cochrane, and expects to release him back into the wild in that area next July or August.

However, he said, the bear won't need to reconnect with his family because bear cubs only stay with their mother for about 18 months.

"The males tend to roam around by themselves. Female cubs may stay connected, but the males don't. He'll be a little loner, and find his way in the wild and hopefully grow up to be a mature bear in the next seven, eight years."

Bear cub
The bear cub was driven 10 hours by people from Windsor who found him on the side of the road near Cochrane in northern Ontario. (Submitted by Myriam Armstrong)

Windsorwon't be alone during his lengthy stay. McIntosh saidtwo more bears were brought in Monday for a total of seven since last Thursday. He saidas it stands now, roughly 20 bears will be hibernating at their space over the winter.

"The one enclosure we have is a quite a large outdoor enclosure with a pond, lots of natural grass and everything with a den box ... They're very sociable animals. They hang together like a little team."

Windsoris currently by himself in the facility's special care area, but once he hasregained all of his faculties, according to McIntosh, he'll be put with some of his fellow furry friends.

"The only test we really need to do at this point, since he doesn't have any broken bones, is just to watch him just observe his behaviour."

The small black bear will live at a Huntsville-area rehab facility until July or August of 2025, according to Bear With Us founder Mike McIntosh.
The small black bear will live at a Huntsville-area rehab facility until July or August of 2025, according to Bear With Us founder Mike McIntosh. (Submitted by Mike McIntosh)